What forceps are used to remove inward growing eyelashes?

• A. Allis
• B. Tissue forceps
• C. Babcock
• D. Epilation

Answer: (D)

Removing an inward-growing eyelash is done by epilation—the act of plucking the lash with fine, ophthalmic forceps. This directly removes the offending hair, giving immediate relief from irritation and can be done quickly under topical anesthesia in a veterinary setting. It’s a simple, often temporary measure since lashes regrow, but it stops the lash from rubbing on the cornea or conjunctiva right away. The other forceps are not suited to this delicate task: Allis forceps are serrated and used for grasping tissue to be removed, which can damage the lid margin; tissue forceps are general-purpose and lack the precision to pull a single lash safely; Babcock forceps are atraumatic but too large for small eyelashes. So, the method of epilation with appropriate fine lash forceps is the correct approach.